Cambojanews, Nov. 27, 2020
The Swedish government will close its embassy in Phnom Penh and move it to Bangkok, a decision government officials said was not indicative of a deterioration in bilateral ties.
The announcement was made on Thursday that the embassy would be closed by the end of 2021 and moved to Bangkok. The statement added that the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency would continue its work in Cambodia.
The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said they would find “new ways” to continue engagement with Cambodia and did not provide any specifics for why the decision was taken.
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“These changes are part of the MFA’s continuous adaptation of its organization abroad to external changes and new monitoring and service requirements. This is a constant process of change and involves Sweden sometimes opening or closing embassies and consulates.
The announcement comes months after Sweden announced its decision to stop all bilateral aid to Cambodia in July 2021. It said the deterioration in Cambodia’s human rights and democratic situation had forced the move, and that it would redirect these funds to support human rights defenders and democracy advocates.
“The Government has therefore chosen to redirect our development efforts to offer better support for change with regards to human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the country,” Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Peter Eriksson said in a June statement.
In full: https://cambojanews.com/sweden-moves-diplomatic-mission-following-termination-of-bilateral-aid/
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